Mufti Popalzai missing ahead of moon sighting meeting

PESHAWAR: A surprising development took place on Saturday as news broke that Mufti Popalzai was missing with rumours rife that he had gone to perform Umrah.

According to details, when rumours started doing the rounds that Mufti Shahabuddin Popalzai was in Makkah to perform Umrah, Samaa investigated and found out that he had infact arrived in Dubai from Islamabad on June 22. Samaa obtained a copy of the ticket as well.

On the other hand, Chairman of Masjid Qasim Khan committee claimed that the Auqaf department had instructed him to close Masjid Qasim Khan.

However, Haji Aziz-ur-Rahman, Chairman of the mosque committee, was adamant when he said that Eid would be announced after testimonies were obtained.

“If the mosque is closed, then the meeting of Masjid Qasim Khan’s Ruhat-e-Hilal committee would take place outside,” he warned.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Minister of Auqaf and Religious Affairs Habib-ur-Rahman said that a meeting on moon sighting should not be held today.

“Only the central Ruhat-e-Hilal Committee can decide whether or not the moon has been sighted,” he said.

He said that to announce Eid on one’s own behest was illegal and said that taking legal action against an illegal Ruhat-e-Hilal Committee was not easy.

“I had asked the federation for legislation with regard to Ruhat-e-Hilal Committee,” he said. “On the basis of which law can we take action against them?” he asked.